HDIMAFFS?: Get Your Film Idea Off The Ground [Part 1-Mentality]

INTRO

Welcome to the first official, "How Do I Make a Film From Scratch?", episode (aesthetically abbreviated to HDIMAFFS). I'm feelin' energized! Why? Great question. It is because you, the loyal reader and future Oscar winner, are discovering how to get your film off the ground. Look at you persistently hunting for answers. You have looked high and low, left and right, circle AND square (simply amazing), which has led you here. Be proud. The wait was worth it. (Note: If you do not like this article, the wait is not over. But reading it will still be purposeful, because you are one step closer to ending your wait). I promise this will not disappoint. However, if you are disappointed, do not tell anyone.

AIGHT, SHOWTIME... is what you hope to say soon to an invested crowd. How do you get there? Another great question! You are two for two (though there are no dumb questions). Thank you for entrusting me to handle the second question as eloquently as I did the first. I will admit this question is more complex. Getting a film from the idea stage to a premiere is no trivial feat. It is physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing. There will be numerous occasions when your plans seem futile. At times, you will wonder if you are wasting your time. You will agonize over the quality of your film and weigh it against the work of others who have been in film for decades. Even worse, most people around you will not grasp your vision. "What are you doing?" Do you feel that? That feeling of doubt and uncertainty? If you continue with your idea, those feelings will become headaches, stress, and anxiety. You will sleep better if you stop now. That is probably best. This is not for you...

HA. Just kidding. I pranked you, loyal reader. I am here to support you, not mutilate your dreams! Those feelings are normal, and you will push through them. I hope I did not hurt your feelings. If I did, I apologize. To show my remorse, I wrote this whole article about how you can overcome those feelings. Please indulge.

"...Can you adapt to the unknown..."

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTHENING YOUR MENTALITY

You may have forgotten, but this article is titled "Get Your Film Idea Off The Ground." In future articles, we will discuss concrete launch points (pitching, fundraising, hiring, etc.). However, begin by priming your mind for a project of this magnitude. In this article, we will be discussing your mentality.

When approaching the issue of your mentality, the most critical concept to grasp is that your overarching mental philosophy dictates everything. Before anything else, you need to be introspective. Are you someone who believes things will go right for them? Do you think you are a high achiever? Do you value other people's opinions? How is your humility? Can you learn new things? What happens when you encounter adversity? Is your mind flexible enough to take lessons from one aspect of your life and utilize them to positively influence other parts of your life?

These are just a few questions to consider. As you answer them, acknowledge patterns and adjust accordingly. A word that encapsulates the connection between these questions is "survival." Can you adapt to the unknown? Sure, what does not kill us makes us stronger. On the other hand, what kills you makes you dead. Keep that in mind. Stay tuned to elevate your survival chances.

Now, we are here to discuss improving your mentality (because I want you to survive and thrive). So, I will share some mentality-related principles I adhered to while producing my first film, 27 Deep. Regardless of the specific challenge, these mindset staples aided me from start to finish.

A VISION vs A LONG-TERM GOAL

If you have a vision; it is within your reach. Your vision came to you for a reason. You can see something others cannot. Feed that vision with belief and purpose. Be patient, and it will gradually become a reality. I am obsessed with this mindset, but it does not come naturally to most. How do you do it for the first time, and can it be cultivated?

I will pause here to say that visions are daunting because they carry varying levels of uncertainty. That is a crucial differentiator between a long-term goal and a vision. Uncertainty is dictated by how foggy the road is between your start and proposed endpoint. Does this mean that visions take more time than long-term goals? Not necessarily. It just means they are harder to plan for and explain. A good example is medical school. It could take over a decade for someone to become a doctor (shout-out doctors). But the path to becoming a doctor is clear. If you follow it, you become a doctor. You generally know what you are supposed to be doing. Moving towards a vision is more ambiguous. 

Fulfilling a vision is not inherently more demanding than meeting a long-term goal. BUT, chasing a vision requires you to embrace unconventional ways of thinking. Visions have a unique way of testing your resolve. Get from A to B with no obvious direction besides forward. This is initially uncomfortable and frightening because you are betting on yourself. Yet, as most anxieties do, this anxiety will subside with experience. So how do you get over the hump?

"...Uncertainty is dictated by how foggy the road is between your start and proposed endpoint..."

HOW TO BUILD A MENTALITY FIT FOR INDIE FILM PRODUCTION

1) Do not worry about convincing other people you have a good idea (yet)

This is the biggest trap I am BEGGING you to avoid. Loyal reader PLEASE DO NOT worry about how other people react to your idea. Never forget that your vision is in you, not out there. If others support it, amazing. If not SO WHAT. Above all else, you need to fully commit to making your dream a reality. Why? Because you have to convince YOURSELF that you can make it happen. Half-hearted attempts to perform extraordinary things are a waste of time. Mentally go all in. Once things start falling into place, you can bring others into the equation. For now, make sure you are in the right headspace.

2) Turn your vision into a long-term goal

We contrasted visions with long-term goals, but what about their similarities? A long-term goal is a component of a vision. Long-term goals include actionable steps, and your visions should, too. Visions are tough because you, rather than someone else, have to pave the road. Once you figure that out, though, your vision transitions to a long-term goal. Sometimes, you will still have to adjust, but be encouraged during those moments! You are progressing if you know it is time to pivot. That is not failure.

3) Ask for help

As a rookie filmmaker, you will not have all the answers. That is ok. When you get to the point of pushing your limitations, fantastic! It is time to ask for help and raise your ceiling again. While producing 27 Deep, I spent a remarkable chunk of time researching how to do things. Whether I was creating participation waivers, color grading, making a film poster, or something else, my best friend was Google Chrome. I needed answers, and they are available everywhere. Utilize that to your advantage.

Also, talk to people who have experience doing what you are trying to do. They can inform you on the most professional methods and assist you in outlining your next steps. Do not fret over how accurately their experiences align with what you imagine future you doing. You need as much knowledge as possible to support you in addressing your action items. Plus, you may make some friends along the way.

4) Take care of yourself

There is no substitute for your health. If you neglect that, I promise you will either never finish your film, or you will never want to do another. Eat right, go to bed at a good time, and exercise. Intentionally cleanse your mind of outside stressors if possible. You gotta keep those cortisol levels down. (Is this me foreshadowing a mental health post? I believe so...) It is obvious to most people that being physically sick is not ideal for productivity, but you must minimize your psychological ailments as well. Your brain is there to provide you with courage, creativity, energy, and all sorts of other invaluable tools to succeed (like the will to get out of bed). If you ignore your brain's needs, it will slowly rebel and strip you of those privileges. You will become noticeably less productive and happy, resulting in the diminished quality of your work (and life).

CONCLUSION

Up for a lightning-fast game of jeopardy? No? Too bad. The category is film production advice for $1 billion. Careful now, this is high stakes. We are talking about some REALLY substantial bank loan collateral. Ready? I hope you have your thinking cap on. Here it comes.

~Gametime😤😤~

1: This is a spicy value describing the amount of technical advice you could compile for any given facet of film production. 

Doo doo dooooo doo doo DOO DOOO DOOOO-oh, you are out of time. Final answer...that is correct! "Infinite," well done. You are off to a blazing start. Do you have a favorite private jet color? If not, get on it. 

Ok, final question-same category. 

2: This is a bland numerical value equating to the value of your infinite film production knowledge when you ignore the role of your mentality in the filmmaking process.

Hint (because I wanna see you win): it has a striking resemblance to a bagel. Try not to overthink. Doo DOO DOO-oh wow, that was fast. Yeah, you got it. The answer is 0. 

Now that the game has concluded I can let you in on a little secret. The numbers are exaggerated estimations (I have not done the math). So take my advice with a grain of salt. I also just heard you will not receive your billions (major bummer). The money is frozen for some reason. Something about retail investors doing too well? Huh... oh well, seems fair. At least you tried. See you next time, loyal readers. Until then, save up. I am not a financial advisor.

This article is written by Andrew Stephens.

IG: @a_drewstephens

YT: Aberra Presents